Tool-operating mechanism



Aug. 30,1927. 1,640,767 G. E. GREENLEAF ET AL TOOL OPERATI NG MECHANI SMFil d June 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

ATTQRNEY Aug. 30, 1927.

G. E. GREENLEAF ET AL I TOOL OPERATING MECHANISM *7, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed June fi g z M I1! 5 1 A ET'I'ORNIZY Aug. 30,1927. 1,640,767

G. E. GREENLEAF ET AL TOOL OPERATING MECHANI SM Filed u 7, 1923 sSheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TORS $1"6/zem6eaf,

1 7360M BY JP. MfauM/i ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

@EFFICE.

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GEORGE E. GBEENLEAF, OF PLAINFIELD, HAROLD L- BLOOD, OF NORTHPLAINFIELD,

AND ROSWELL I-I. RAUSCH, F PLAINFIELD. NEW ASSIGNORS T0 NILES-BEMENT-PONID COMPANY, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TOOL-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 7, 1923.

This invention relates to planers and like machines and particuhirly tomechanism for operating the tools and tool supports thereof. Suchmachines ordinarily comprise a.

work table and one or apair of uprights adjacent the table. A cross railis mounted on the uprights and tool heads may be sup ported on the crossrail and on the uprights beneath the rail. The first said heads areordinarily termed the rail heads and the second said heads areordinarily termed the side heads. Specifically. our present in ventionrelates to mechanism for elevating and clamping the rail on the saidupright or uprights and for feeding and traversing the tool heads. Theprimary object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism forperforming: these functions.

It is an object of the invention to providea planer with means forintermittently feeding the tools in synchronism with the recip rotationof the work table. and a motor for traversing the tools continuously.for movng the cross rail on the uprights and for clamping; the rail tothe uprights. the motor preferably being: mounted on the cross rail.

It will be understood that while the said traversing. elevating" andclamping functions may be most conveniently performed from the motor, itmay in some instances be desirable to perform only certain of suchfunctions therefrom. Accordingly. another object of our invent on is tocombine the use of a motor with a planer or like machine and its toolfeeding mechanism. in the manner above stated for performing: onlycertain of said functions may be desired.

With the above and other objects in view, our invention consists in thefeatures of construct-ion and operation set forth in the fol lowingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In suchdrawings annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification. wehave shown one form of our invention embodied in a planer but it will beunderstood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that thedrawings are notto be construed as defining or limiting the scope of theinvention. the claims appended to this specification being relied uponfor that purpose.

Serial No. 643,945.

Referring to the figures of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a planer embodying our invention.

2 a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view partially in section of oneend of the cross rail.

Fig. 1- is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 5 is a detail front view of certain clutch mechanism shown in Fig.4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the cross rail shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view thereof taken on line 88 of Fig. 7. a

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 99 of Fig. 7.

Referring more specifically to the drawings by reference characters, 1indicates the bed of a planer having; a work table 2 slidably mountedthereon and a pair of uprights respectively at opposite sides of thetable. A cross rail 4 is mounted to slide vertically on the uprights andis adapted to slidably support a pair of tool head saddles 5 and Gthereon. A side head saddle 7 is supported on one upright beneath thecross rail. The table 2 is adapted to be reciprocated from a motor 8 andsuch reciprocation is aut0- matically controlled by a pilot switch 9operated by table does 10 and 11. This mechanism and its operation arefully described in Patent No. 1,299,199. The movements of the table maybe controlled manually by means of a pendent switch 12 which isdescribed in detail in Reissue Patent No. 14.540 dated October 22, 1918.

Two threaded shafts or screws 18 are provided on'the cross rail forrespectively moving the tool saddles 5 and 6 therealong and a splinedshaft 13 is provided for moving the tools vertically in the usualmanner. A pinion 14.- is loosely mounted on the forward end of eachscrew shaft and a ratchet pinion 15 is slidably splined thereon adjacenteach pinion l l. The pinions lt and 15 are provided with cooperatingclutch teeth on their adjacent faces whereby the inner spliued portionof the pinion 15 may be engaged with the pinion l-t. Operating handles15 are provided for shifting the l he front ends of shafts 42 and 56 aresupported in a bracket 62 bolted to the end of the cross rail. Aforwardly extending arm 63 is provided thereon for pivotally supportinga clutch operating lever (3 1-. This lever is connected to the clutchesH and (31 respectively at opposite sides of the pivotal point of thelever. Such arrangement provides means for shifting the clutches andpositively assures that when either clutch is in the engaged position,the other clutch will be in the disengaged position, thus prcventing thesimultaneous engagement of these clutches and possible damage to themachine. r

The operation of the machine is asfollows: To start the reciprocation ofthe work table, the operator grasps one of the arms 9 and rotates thepilot switch 9. T he motor 8 thereupon moves the table in one directionuntil one of the table dogs engages its arm 9 and rotates the pilotswitch in the opposite direct-ion. Such operation reverses the motorwhich then drives the table in the opposite direction. The tool feedingrack bar 19 is reciprocated at each reciprocation of the table in theusual manner.

To perform feeding operations, the ratchet pinions 15 on the shafts itis desired to op crate are meshed with the gear 17 and the screw at 20is adjusted to give the rack feedingstroke desired. It the side head Tis to be fed, the clutch 30 is engaged with the ratchet pinion 25. lViththe parts in these positions, it is obvious that the tools will beautomatically fed the desired amount during each successive non-cuttinginterval in the operation of the machine, such operation being performeddirectly from the table reciprocating mechanism.

When it is desired to traverse the tools or tool saddles continuously bypower, the pinions let and spiral gear 37 of the shafts it is desired tooperate are clutched to their shafts respectively by means of theengagement of ratchet pinions 15 and clutch 30 therewith. After makingsuch adjustments, the motor may be operated in either direct-ion totraverse the tools and tool supports as desired. It will be understoodthat during this operation, the elevating and ciamping clutches 44: and61 are in the inoperative posit-ion illustrated in Fig. 5.

WVhen it is desired to move the cross rail on the uprights, the ratchetgears 15 and clutch 30 are placed in the neutral posit-ion and theclutch 44 is engaged with its gear 43. The elevating nuts 39 may nowbecontinuously rotated from the motor 31 in either direction to elevateor lower the cross rail on the uprights.

After adjusting the cross rail to the desired position, the same may beclamped to the uprights by means of the motor 31 as follows: The lever(Set is moved to disengage the clutch 44 and. engage the clutch 61. Themotor 31 and gear 52 may now be rotated in a direction to draw thewedges inwardly and force the clamping elements 47 into clampingengagement with the uprights. As

the spring 54 resists the outward movementof the other wedge beyond itsunclamping position. These stop means assure the release of bothclamping wedges in the unclamping operation.

What we claim is:

1. in a planer or the like, the combinatimi of a base, a reciprocatingwork table mounted thereon, two uprights respectively at opposite sidesof the table, a cross rail mounted to slide vertically on the uprightsover the table, a tool support movably mounted on the rail. means forintermittently feeding the tool support synchronously with the ta blereciprocation, a motor, and mechanism operated by the motor fortraversing the tool support continuously, for moving the rail on theuprights and for clamping the rail t the uprights.

2. In a planer or the like, the combination of a base, a reciprocatingwork table mounted thereon, two uprights respectively at opposite sidesof the table. a cross rail mounted to slide vertically on the uprightsover the table, a tool support movably mounted on the rail. a toolsupport on one upright beneath the rail, means for intermittentlyfeeding the tool supports synchronously with the table reciprocation. a.motor, and mechanism operated by the motor for traversing the toolsupports continuously, for moving the rail on the uprights and forclamping the rail to the uprights.

3. In a planer or the like, the combination of a base, a work tablemounted thereon, two uprights respectively at opposite sides of thetable, a. cross rail mounted to slide vertically on the uprightsover'the table, a tool support movably mounted on the rail, a motor onthe rail, and mechanism operated by the motor for traversing the toolsupport continuously and for clamping the rail to the uprights.

4. In a planer or the like, the combination of a base, a reciprocatingwork table mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the table, twouprights respectively at opposite sides of the table, a cross railmounted to slide vertically on the uprights over the table, pivotedclamping means on the rail for securing the rail to the uprights, a toolsupport movably mounted on the rail, means operated from the tablereciprocating means for intermittently feeding the tool supportsynchronously With-the table reciprocation, a motor on the rail, andmechanism operated by the motor for traversimg the tool supportcontinuously, for moving the rail on the up rights and for operating theclamping means.

5. In a planer or the like, the combination of a base, r eciprocati worktable mounted. thereon, means .tor "eciprocati'ng the table, twouprights respectively at oppositesides of the table, a cross railmounted to slide vertically on the uprights over the table, a toolsupport movahly mounted on the rail, a screw operatively connected tothe support, two coaxial gears on the rail rearwardly of the screw,means ada 'ited to operatively connect either ear with the screw,mechanism for intermittently rotating one gear from the tablereciprocating means, a motor on the rail operatively connected with theother gear, the said one being adapted to intermittently feed the toolsupportsynchronously with the table reciprocation and the said othergear being adapted to traverse the tool support continuously, andmechanism operated from the motor operated gear for moving the rail onthe uprights.

6. In a planer or the like, the combination of a base, a reciprocatingwork table mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the table, two uprits respectively at opposite sides of the table, a cross rail mounted toslide ver tically onthe uprights over the table, a tool support movablymounted on the rail, a screw operatively connected to the support, twocoaxial gears on the rail raarwardly oil the screw, means adapted toop'eratively conmeet either gear with the screw, mechanism forintermittently rotating one gear from the table reciprocating means, amotor on the rail operatively connected withthe other gear, the said oneget being adapted to intermittently feed the tool support synchronously''ith the table reciprocation and the said other gear being adapted totraverse the tool support continuously, and: mechanism operated from themotor operated gear for moving the rail on the up rights and forclamping the rail to the uprights.

'Z. In a planer or the like, the combination of a base, a reciprocatingwork table mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the table, anupright on the base at one side of the table, a cross rail mounted toslide vertically on the upright and extending horizontally over thetable, a tool support movably mounted on the rail, means Ztorintern'ii-ttently feeding the tool support syn-- chronously with thetable reciprocation, a motor, and mechanism operated by the motor fortraversing the tool support continuously, for moving the rail on theupright and for clamping the rail to the upright.

8. M1 a planer r the like, the combination of a base, a reciprocatingwork table n rounted thereon, means for recipro'azrin-g the table, anupright on the base at one side of the table, a cross rail mounted toslide vertically on the upright and extending horizontally over thetable, a tool support nic-vabli mounted on the rail, a motor on therail, and mechanism operated by the motor tor traversing the toolsupport contii-ruously and for clamping the rail to the upright.

9. In a machine of the class desc ibed, the

combination of a base, a work table thereon, two uprights respectivelyat opposite sides of the table, a cross rail mounted to slide verticallyon. the uprights over the table, screw threaded means adjacent theuprights for moving the rail thereon, clamping means for securing therail to the uprights, a shaft extending along the rail and operativelyconnected to the screw threaded means, a shaft extending along therailand opei t-ively connected to the clamping means, a motor on the, rail,and clutch means for engaging either shaft with the motor whereby tomove the rail on the uprights and toclamp the rail thereto.

In testimony whereof, we hereto aiiix our signatures.

GEORGE E. GREENLEAF. HAROLD L. BLOOD. ROSE FELL H. RAUSQH.

